Ep2. The Fabric of A Place: Mohair & the Karoo with Frances Van Hasselt | South Africa

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In this episode we head towards South Africa, the global headquarters of Mohair production in the world and the home of Frances VH Mohair, a women-led textile studio based in the Karoo, established in 2017 by Frances van Hasselt, a designer and entrepreneur focusing on developing mohair textiles locally. Raised on a mohair farm in the Karoo desert, Van Hasselt has a deep affinity for this natural fibre. She collaborates with a team of women artisans, weaving a story about the origins of textiles, simultaneously allowing the natural environment to inform every aspect of their design and making process. In this episode: 1. Frances reveals the complete supply chain of mohair production – from rainfall to finished product. 2. We explore how natural resources, environmental factors, animal welfare and inclusive workplaces directly impact mohair production. 3. We examine how traditional craftsmanship creates sustainable competitive advantage, however, very seldom do we have farm-level players in the value chain be a part of the sustainability conversations. 4. Frances challenges conventional fashion industry business models and the way we design and create fashion today. 5. We redefine luxury from an artisanal, sustainability-focused perspective. Frances's role in creating an inclusive, sustainable supply chain specifically adapted to the eco- system of the South African textile industry earned her a Mandela Washington Fellowship. Their work for Kate Otten Architects, ‘Threads’ was on show at the 2023 Venice Biennale. The image in the second slide is by Alix Rose and it depicts one of the SOFA Mohair blankets developed by Frances VH Mohair. SOFA which is an acronym for Supporting Old Factories in Africa is a collection where the studio works with old factories in South Africa to reimagine Mohair in fresh designs and perspectives. Guest | Frances Van Hasselt, Founder & Designer Frances VH Mohair https://www.francesvh.com/ Host | Rini Bankhwal https://www.subjectmatter.world/ Image credits: Marked on the video Edit